What does it take to get in?

Admissions credentials required for freshman application include:

A personal statement or essay: You may submit a report or paper you have written during the current school year or, in 500 words or less, submit a response to one of the provided questions or a topic of your choice.

Official high school transcripts

Official copies of your score on the required SAT or the American College Test (ACT) with Writing (SAT and ACT score reports will not be acceptable without a writing score): If these scores do not appear on the official high school transcript, you must arrange for us to receive them directly from the appropriate educational testing service. For students intending to enroll in the General Studies or Learning Disabilities programs, SAT scores are highly recommended and expected to be provided upon request.

One or more letters of recommendation from a guidance/college counselor, teacher or school-based administrator: Letters from other sources, such as a volunteer coordinator, may also be considered.

Adelphi applicants must be graduates of a recognized four-year high school or academy or must offer acceptable evidence of official equivalent preparation. We prefer freshmen who have successfully completed a minimum of 16 academic units. Every applicant is considered, however, on the basis of his or her individual academic record and cocurricular activities. Regardless of the size of our application pool, we treat every student with respect and integrity.

We recommend completion of the following academic units:

English (4 units)

Science (3 units)

General science may be included

Mathematics (3 units)

Foreign language (2–3 units)

Additional units to be chosen from history, social studies and the above fields (4 units)

Additional Notes

Students who have obtained a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or who have been out of high school for one year or more will not be required to take the SAT or ACT (unless specifically requested to do so).

An admissions interview, strongly recommended for all students, is required for applicants to the Honors College. It may be arranged by the applicant or requested by the Office of University Admissions. Interviews may also be waived due to distance or extenuating circumstances.

All records of each applicant are given careful consideration. A final evaluation is based on the abilities, purposes and interests of the candidate. We may also require additional information, or we may exempt students from certain credentials.

Decision Policy and Deadlines

Freshman Decision Policy

We subscribe to a rolling admissions policy; however, applications received after the March 1 priority filing date will be considered on a space-available basis. The Office of University Admissions makes every effort to notify candidates of their admission decision approximately three weeks after receiving a completed application. We also subscribe to an Early Action admissions program.

Candidate Reply Date

We subscribe to the May 1 candidate reply date for freshmen. This procedure has been established to provide ample time for students to reach a decision on their college choices. On this date, accepted students should notify the University of their intent with regard to enrollment. Commitments received after this date will be considered on a space-available basis for enrollment and housing.